Improvement in machinery for forming baskets



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Hg @van UNITED STATES f JOHN W. MILLET, UF BATGHELLERVILLE, ASSIGNOR 'IOBENJAMIN R..

JENKINS AND GYRUS SUMNER, OF EDINBURG, NEV YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINERY FOR FORMING BASKETS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 47.602, dated May 2,1865.

To-aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. MILLET, ofi Batchellerville, Saratogacounty, State of New York, have invented a new and useful Machine forManufacturing Peach or other Fruit Baskets, which, for peculiarity ofconstruction, novelty, and the perfect manner with which it works,possesses advantages, the nature of which will in the followingspecification be clearly set forth. The nature of my invention is asfollows: To two ordinary beams or ways, similar to a lathe, andsupported by feet, two upright posts are secured, one situated at oneend and the other toward the center. lThey are equally provided with ajournal or bearing, in which an arbor or shaft revolves, and whichprojects beyond the upright post near the center far enough to receive aconical drum (the size and `taper of the basket to be manufactured)provided with a series of channels or grooves on its circumference,correspondin g with the num ber of staves required to make a basket, andhaving projections between, which keep said staves the proper distanceapart. The shaft or arbor projects beyond the conical drum, and has aface-plate or chuck which receives the bottom of the basket. A slidingtail-block with a center plate, operated by a screw and wheel, pressesthe bottom against pins in the faceplate or chuck, and holds it securelywhile the basket is being made. A hanged plateis secured to the arbor orshaft, ,between the conical drum and upright, the size of mouth oropening of basket.

A handvwheel is secured to the shaft or arbor, between the uprightposts, by means of which it revolves. To the top of the outside post amovable lever is bolted, which plays freely through an elongated slot inthe inner post, having a spring under said' lever to force it up and acam above to force it down. Near the lower end of said lever, and aboutthe center of conical drum, a spring-guide is secured, which keeps thestaves in their proper position while the drum revolves. A movablecradle or rest is supported on strong wooden frames or brackets,andslides horizontally in grooves cut in the same. To and from theconical drum a follower slides in said cradle or rest, and is drawnforward and pressed against'the staves placed in front of it by means ofweightssuspended by cords attached to said follower. It is drawn4 out bymeans of a cord attached to the back of said follower, which passes overa guide-pulley and connects onto a rod hinged to the ways. By movingsaid rod the follower is drawn out until it strikes against catches inthe sides of the movable cradle or rest, which then slides back from theconical drum far enough to remove the basket when made.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The rod being raised at oneend, the other end is depressed, the follower is drawn back, and anumber of staves placedin frontof it. The bottom piece of the basket isplaced on the chuck and, the sliding tail-block pressed against it. Themovable lever is pressed down, and the guide-spring secured to it leadsthe staves into the notches in the conical drum as it is revolved bymeansof hand-wheel, said follower being drawn forward by means ofweights suspended in front of the same, the hoop being laid in theconical drum. The staves are nailed on in succession as it revolvesuntil the basket is iinished, the tail-rest is moved back, the cradle orrest drawn out far enough from the conical drum to remove the basket,when the operation can be repeated.

I have tested my invention and find it well adapted to the purposedesigned.

Having thus set forth its nature, and to enable others skilled in theart to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe it andcertify that the accompanying drawings are a full and correctrepresentation of the same, like letters corresponding with like parts.

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the machine. Fig. 2 is an endview with seetion of conical drum and cradle or rest. Fig. 3 is a planof the same.

AA represent the beams or ways, secured to the feet B B C, the endupright; D, the other up right post; E, the arbor or shaft, which turnson a journal or bearing in each upright post; F, the conical drum,provided with channels or grooves ff f f around its circumference, andwith projecting hubs between, (marked g g g g G, the face-plate orchuck, against which the bottom of the basket ispressed by means oftail-rest I and center plate, J, with the screw or hand-wheel K.

L is the flange-plate, on which the mouth or opening of the basket isformed; M, the follower, which slides in the movable rest N, supportedonbrackets or frames n n, and sliding in and out on grooves in the same.

W Wlv are weights, secured by cords u n, attached to the followerM,which is drawn out by means ofthe cord l?, attached to the back andconnected to a rod, Q, hinged to the ways A.

By means of the rod Q at one end the cord is depressed and the followerN drawn out. The staves are then put in. The weights W W draw them upagainst the conical drum F. The movable lever R is then lowered by thecam S, and the guideespring T, attached thereto, keeps the staves inposition while the drum revolves.

JOHN W. MILLET.

Witnesses:

E. D. ELLITHORP, CYRUs SUMNER.

